Some environments for electrical connectors require that one or more terminals within a connector, for instance pilot terminals, electrically connect with like terminals of a mating connector after a set of one or more terminals within the same connector, for instance primary connectors, electrically connect with like terminals of the mating connector. Conversely, the pilot terminals must also be electrically disconnected before the primary terminals. For example, in some connector systems high voltage circuits must be kept separate from and connected before low voltage circuits if mating and unmating of the low voltage circuits acts to energize and deenergize the high voltage circuits. This prevents shock to the assembler, or electrical arcing damage to the terminals. To achieve these results, initial electric contact points of the pilot terminals are often positioned further back from the mating end of the connectors than the initial electric contact points of the primary terminals. The primary terminals thus engage first, and the pilot terminal engage second. In separation, the order is reversed: The pilot terminals disengage first, and the primary terminals disengage second. Such an offset arrangement is exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,691, which discloses a connector assembly having a control circuit and a power circuit in the same male connector. The control circuit connections and power circuit connections are physically offset so that electrical connection of the power supply using the control circuit is made only after the power circuit is connected. This ensures that the power supply is switched on only when the power circuits are already electrically engaged.
An alternative conventional arrangement is to make the pilot terminals significantly shorter than the primary terminals. A lever-type connector with longer terminals for electrical power supply and shorter terminals for signal transmission, causing differences in the timing of terminal connection, is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,531,605.
These prior art connector configurations limit the types of terminals that can be used in the connector. They require specific types of primary terminals wherein the initial electrical contact points are at the front of the terminal mating features, primary terminals that allow specific over-travel of the contact points, or terminals of different lengths. Moreover, these configurations also result in very short delay times between primary and pilot terminal engagement or disengagement, increasing the risks of shock and damage.
Prior art electrical connectors have also been provided with so-called connector position assurance devices (CPA's) to provide visual and tactile assurance that terminals are properly mated, and to prevent unwanted terminal separation. Conventionally, one form of these CPA's comprises a separate locking tab engageable with the mated connectors of the electrical connector assembly only after the connectors are fully mated and which effectively lock the connectors in the mated condition. Only when the CPA is removed can the connectors and their terminals be separated. While such prior art CPA's are effective, they unfortunately comprise small, separate parts that are prone to loss during connector assembly, and further add time and expense to the manufacture and assembly of these connectors.
Prior art lever connectors have also been provided with assist levers, sometimes referred to as LIF (low insertion force) levers, mounted on one connector to receive portions of a second connector during initial mating and often having cam slot structure to draw the two connectors into a fully mated condition with relatively little force.